By Erica and Karenl

A lttle over one hundred years ago—after decades of struggle and sometimes violence—women in the United States were no longer barred from voting by reason of their sex.The women who fought for the vote put their lives in danger to get a political voice, understanding that achieving the vote was critical to their lives as citizens.

A century after the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, about half of U.S. adults (49%) – including 52% of men and 46% of women – say granting women the right to vote has been the most important milestone in advancing the position of women in the country, relative to other notable events and achievements, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

Today, the right to vote—the right to a political voice—remains critical as women continue to struggle for their rights, in the US. and elsewhere. But the vote alone is not enough. In Iran, where the fight for rights has taken a dramatic turn after a woman died in the custody of the so-called morality police, women have risen up to demand to be allowed to participate in modern society without being subjected to the hijab law.

Iran’s protests may well be the first time in history that women have been both the spark and engine for an attempted counter-revolution. “The role played by Iranian women right now seems very unprecedented,” Daniel Edelstein, a political scientist at Stanford and an expert on revolutions, [said.]

These women are defying a powerful establishment, at great personal risk, for the right to be free of politically entrenched suppression.

The women of Afghanistan fought a similar battle not long ago and accomplished much before the Taliban returned to power. The Taliban seem bent on erasing women, as documented by noted photographer Peter van Agtmael. Some women now call Afganistan the worst place in the world to be a woman.

We lost our freedom of speech the same day we lost our country. There is no constitution, and Taliban commanders set up their own courts to judge individuals on whatever charges they want, whenever they want. Terrorists are finding a haven in Afghanistan, and deadly bombings of civilians in mosques and markets have increased.

But the fear and oppression are worse for Afghan women, because they can’t fight back; they’ve been systematically removed from society, imprisoned in their homes once again.

How can women’s right to participate in society still be an issue in 2022? Especially when there is little debate that everyone’s economic interests would be served by gender equality.

If women were to participate in the economy identically to men, they could add as much as $28 trillion or 26 percent to annual global GDP in 2025. This is roughly the combined size of the economies of the United States and China today.

Despite this huge economic opportunity, progress for women, in many countries, is being made very slowly, if at all. It makes no sense.

We in the United States have the vote, and social freedom, and growing economic agency. We can use each of these powers strategically to protect our rights and advance society for all. We have been shown what could happen, even in the twenty-first century, if these powers were lost.

As one key step, please vote.